Introduction
Medical device, equipment and supplies production has evolved significantly during the pandemic. With pressure from all sides to keep up with strict regulations, accelerate production lines and offer consumers low-cost options, medical manufacturers need to be taking advantage of their ERP system to stay ahead. Here are the top three ERP benefits that medical manufacturers can use to maximize their outcomes.
1) Lower Production Costs
When the right ERP system is set up properly, medical manufactures are able to automate regular processes and add safeguards into their systems to decrease production expenses. There are numerous tasks that can be partially or fully automated during the ERP process to save you time and money, including:
- Generating a production dispatch list
- Setting up start and stop operations
- Recording direct and indirect labor
- Reporting operation quantity (good and bad)
- Issuing materials to jobs
- Reporting finished goods to inventory
- Printing barcode labels
- Making IDM documents and notes
- Collecting machine hours
- Producing as built functionality
- Writing supervisory reports
- Using biometric systems
- Working on single or multiple jobs
In addition to the savings from automated systems, an ERP should give you control over setting required steps in your workflow and only allowing the right people to change information. These settings ensure that jobs are completed correctly the first time, rather than being incomplete and requiring time-consuming retroactive fixes down the line. To learn how to set up your ERP with money saving automation and safeguards, contact a trusted ERP consultant like Datix. With 25 years’ experience and a business-first approach, we are dedicated to helping each of our clients overcome their unique business challenges
2) Extensive Tracking
With your ERP, you should have history, revision and recall tracking at your fingertips. Real-time history tracking supports meeting compliance standards and allows manufacturers to understand how their production line is doing. Your ERP can track who and when each step of the manufacturing process is completed in real-time, so you can ensure that everything is running smoothly. Through revision tracking, it is possible to restore data to a previous version if something needs to be redone. This is because revision tracking allows users to track changes to every part of the manufacturing process, including drawings, documents, bills of materials, lot numbers, client names, serial numbers, leasing and warranty information. This thorough knowledge of the revision process is valuable during inspections and audits and for management as it considers ways to increase efficiency. In addition, recall tracking helps identify, address and set up measures to prevent recalls to protect consumers and a company’s reputation. Read more on How Tracking Increases Growth and Supports Compliance for Medical Manufacturers.
3) Compliance Management
Those in medical manufacturing need to maintain compliance with the latest regulations and standards for their products if they want to stay in business. A single manufacturer may have to deal with numerous regulations, standards and guidelines related to each of their different products and their target markets. These standards can be challenging to interpret, but manufacturers must learn to understand them if they want to pass inspections and audits. As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, tracking is critical for having necessary data ready to showcase compliance. Likewise, automation and ERP safeguards actually make it easier to demonstrate reliable business systems to the FDA or other entities. The great advantage of an ERP is that compliance practices can be set up and required directly through your processes, so you know that you are always ready for the next audit or review.
Wrap Up
For medical device, equipment and supplies manufacturers, a sophisticated ERP is a necessary tool to running an effective business. At Datix, we recognize that every manufacturer is unique and requires a tailored solution to meet their business goals. Our team will partner with you every step of the way to bring your organization to the next level.
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About Datix
Datix is the ERP consultant of choice for medical manufacturers. Our in-depth analysis of our clients and their business needs allows us to maximize their investments to the fullest.
